Blood for Freedom
by MsBBSue
Summary: War has been going on for far too long. Will Hyrule be able to get back what the Evil Lord has taken? Alternate Universe. Might get gorier in later chapters... perhaps even a higher rating... Enjoy!
1. Battle for Kakariko

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any Legend of Zelda characters. This is a story I have created and not a part in anyway making me money... I am poor... and possibly more so now having written this...**

**Anyway, please enjoy, and if you find that I have any problems, misspellings, or even if I am terrible at this, tell me... but be respectful. Hope you like it!**

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**Just a thought for a new story, if you enjoy it, let me know. **

**The more I see people liking this, the faster I will update it-not saying I won't be updating this.**

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**_Blood for Freedom_**

**_Chapter One: Battle for Kakariko_**

We stand in front of our leader. Colin stands beside me; his knees are shaking. It is his first battle, and he is rightly scared.

"My Pincher is hurting," the boy's voice is shaking, but I give him a reassuring smile.

"That means the fit is correct," I nod my head. A Pincher is what we call the plates that cover our chest and back. Where the two plates connect causes them to pinch our armpits, hence the name Pincher. I shift my footing.

I reposition my gauntlets. They bear the symbol of the Hyrule's royal soldiers; a golden Triforce and wing like forms to the sides. My chest is constricted and I struggle to breath. I should have gone to the blacksmith before we left the villa.

"Are you alright?" Colin places a heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I force a smile on my face.

"Are you sure?"

"Colin, even if I wasn't, do you really think I would pass off this opportunity?" I look up at him as my world slowly spins from my lack of breath.

"Men," our leader begins to speak with his usual booming voice. He is tall and red haired resembling one of the men my country has feared for many long years. "For many of us this is only a small battle, to some… this is our first," the Hylian smiles at Colin. "Few of us will walk out of this unharmed by death's hand for he may take some of the men we have considered brothers away. Those of you who die, I pray to our Goddesses you make a safe journey to the heavens." The man slowly walks down the row of us, "Embrace your weapons, for they are the only thing that will aid you in this," Sir Rauru smiles at me as I mouth his words. I have heard them hundreds of times. I nod to him and he smiles again, "Treat the men who stand beside you like they are your brothers. Protect them like you would a child, and you shall be treated the same." Sir Rauru's sky blue eyes meet with mine and he waves me to his side.

I walk in long, quick strides. There is no time to waste with battle so close. "Yes Sir Rauru," I say trying to hide my discomfort.

The metal on his arms clang against my Pincher as he puts his arm around my shoulder; his voice is nearly a whisper, "You know it is Colin's first fight," it is more of statement than a question. I nod. "Keep a close eye on him. I don't want to have to go back to Castle Town to tell another mother her boy is dead."

"Colin is a strong warrior," I assure, "there will be no need to do such a thing."

"Alright," the tall knight nods; "get back in the line. When _they_ start to appear, make sure your group gets to them before they do any real damage to the village. I will make sure my men stay behind until the time is right." I nod. It is my first time leading a group and my nervousness is starting to show.

I take my place back at Colin's side. I watch the horizon for a moment and then gasp as the dark shadows of the enemy appears. No matter how many times I see it, it always takes me by surprise.

"For the Goddesses!" my voice seems much smaller compared to Sir Rauru's, but my message gets across and is followed by battle cries. I lead the men into the small empty village. The night before we evacuated the residents to the humid forest, our only goal now is to protect what they left behind.

The land is rocky and the sky is black. There will be a storm before the battle is over. My heart pounds as I pick up the odor of the enemy. They smell of sweat and blood with the bitter sweetness of death. Colin is behind me; I can almost hear his heart hammering as we approach the first Bulblin. I take the first kill for it is I who lead the men and it is the only honour to be had in such a battle.

The next Bulblin to succumb to death is easily taken down by Colin's powerful thrusts. Blood sprits everywhere, I can feel the warm wetness on my face as the stale winds blow. I turn to see Colin running to a new Bulblin. His footing is good and strikes are well met for the young age he is.

I race through the village past my men. There is a group of Bulblins preparing to torch a small temple devoted to Goddess Din. They have not seen me yet. I sneak up from behind. I bash my pommel onto the head of one of them. He falls down unconscious and the others give me their undivided attention.

"Give me his head," the one with the torch hollers to his men. Before any of them try to stop me, I slice my sword across the Bulblin's neck. He falls lifelessly.

One of the Bulblin takes no time and jabs his sword into my leg. I hold in my holler, afraid it would give them pleasure to see my pain. I turn towards him and thrust my blade into his abdomen. His legs bend and he goes stiff with the pain. I kick him off my weapon and wait for the other two to come at me.

One lunges at me but he is an easy kill. I watch as the last circles me. I hate when they do this; it makes me feel like a trapped animal. Though he wears a scarf, I can see he is smiling. He juts forward but I do not budge. They do this as a test to see if you are worthy enough to fight honorably.

"Hylian no doubt, but what kind; Sheikah, Lokomo or perhaps a distant cousin of the Gerudos?" his voice is rough. I feel the need to cover my lip's tattoo, but I stand solid. "I thought the Sheikah were a peaceful people," he laughs pointing to his lip for reference to mine.

"They were," my voice is a low growl, "until your people destroyed their once thriving culture."

"Ah," he says as if realizing something. "That's right, they're all dead… well, most of them." I hate the way he speaks. I wish I could cut his tongue out and feed it to the dogs. "How old are you boy?"

"Sixteen," I say trying to sound bigger than what I am.

"Sixteen and leading men into battle?" the Bulblin stops his movements. "Who is your superior?"

"I'm not telling you," I speak the words with a hint of annoyance and defence.

"Very well, I just wanted to make sure that when I kill you, I send your body piece by piece back to the right person." The Bulblin is trying to scare me. I chuckle to myself making him glare at me. "Come now," he raises he sword, "we don't have all day."

I hold my blade with a smile. The Bulblin jumps at me and tries to bring his pommel to my scalp, but I dodge. He is behind me, I can feel the heat radiate from his olive gree body. I quickly bring out a dagger from my sheath belt and drag the edge across his face. He holds the wound for a moment and then grips my Pincher. He uses momentum to swing me to the ground. I try to remind myself I am fine, but his breath against my cheek tells me otherwise.

I try to push him off, but my lack of breath in the constricting plates has rendered me useless. His unnatural, glowing red eyes look into mine. He is the product of what Ganondorf created when he reproduced with the Gerudos. I shiver. Something flashes across his face as he holds me down. My heart races hoping he does not find out my secret. He cocks his head for a moment and smiles. His thigh rises between my legs and I squirm. His grin is large as if he has found a treasure.

"Forgive me madam, I had no idea." His lips curl even more and his hand comes to my head and pets me. This is no longer a fight for the residents of Kakariko's freedom, but for my own virtue. I try pushing him once more, but his weight is too much for me. He holds me down with one arm across my chest and uses the other hand to pin my arms above my head. I try using my free leg to kick him, but I cannot get the angle right. I am helpless. My time will soon end, and no one is here to protect me.

There is thunder above us and soon after the rain begins to pour. I squint my eyes to see the Bulblin. He flips me over in one quick motion and I am on my stomach. He begins to unlace my Pincher. I feel panic rise from my stomach to my mouth. I want to scream, I want to yell for help, but if any of my men found out I were a woman, death would come to me in the form of a tight rope around my neck.

I feel the sudden release of the Pincher and my breathing is corrected. The Bulblin flips me over again and I see his face. He looks at my body for a moment. Each movement of his eyes disgusts me. He leans over me and I can feel the blood from my leg wound glue my trousers to the skin around.

"Are you afraid?" his mouth whispers in my ear.

"No," I lie, but I know he sees right through it.

"Interesting," he smiles, "when faced with death you smile, but with this," he laughs to himself quietly, "you cower."

He begins to feel my body, his hand gliding over every curve. With each passing second, the knot in my stomach grows. I wriggle a hand free and knock the side of his head with my fist. He reacts with an open hand across my cheek. I hear the crunch of my flesh as I bite into it. The metallic taste taunts my tongue.

I take a deep breath as he licks his lips. I jerk my head forward and hit his forehead. With his sudden surprise, I take my chance and push him off me. I then grab a new dagger and shove it through his black heart. He stiffens for a moment and gasps for air. His glowing eyes are wide and mouth slacked. I twist my small blade out of him and he makes an animal like cry.

I grab my Pincher and retreat into a small house to dress myself. Inside the house, it is dry; the air is filled with the faint smell of incense. I awkwardly re-lace the plate and walk out of the house. By the Bulblin's body is my sword. I grab it and run back to my men.

As I run, something catches my foot and I fall to the rocky ground. The puddle I fall into splashes small stone fragments into my eyes. This is what makes me believe today will be a bad day.

"We've got one!" hollers a strange voice.

"Good," another voice laughs. I feel a tug on my leg and begin to slide across the wet, black, rocky ground. This is indeed going to be a bad day, a _very_ bad day.

"Who is it?" the second voice called.

"A boy," the first voice is now closer. "Where do you want him?"

Suddenly the voices dissipated as hollers and yells bombard me. I cover my face and tuck myself as hands and clubs hit me. I reach for my dagger and manage to cut the rope around my foot only to have more Bulblins' clubs and fists swarm around. I am yet again helpless. Correction; it is a terrible day.

I can feel my world begin to fade as a club swings against my skull. Blackness engulfs me like a child's blanket and I wonder if I am dead.

I dream of nothing. There are no voices, no Bulblins, and no violence. I am at peace. After what seems to be ages, I am pulled back from my black abyss to rejoin the world of dander and bemusement.

It is dark and the sky is clear of rainclouds. My eyes open and close; each time I blink it gets harder to keep them opened. I see a young man sitting by my leg. I want to shoot up and attack, but my body is betraying me even through the fear of the strange person.

"Calm down," the man commands as I struggle to sit up, "you're injured." He pushes me gently back down to the ground, which has transformed into a thick blanket underneath me. He can see my confusion and a small smile forms on his thin lips. I try to speak, but my words come out in tongues.

"I'm not going to harm you," he says as he leans over the fire to grab a small pot. He places a spoon in it. He holds the spoon filled with a thick liquid to my mouth, "Drink."

I shake my head unclear of his motives. He grabs my face and pinches my cheeks together making me open my mouth. He then puts the spoon in my mouth making my teeth clink and sting from the metal. I try to spit out the liquid but her covers my mouth and nose until I swallow. I gasp for air and begin a coughing fit. The liquid has a bitter mint taste with a slight citrus pinch.

"It should help with the pain… and the grogginess," he turns back to the fire and dumps the pot's contents onto the ground. I now notice men around the entire area.

"Why are you helping me?" the voice climbs out of my sore throat.

"You needed it," he turns to me and the fire shows his sharp, thin features. He pushes his long blonde mane out of his face and sighs, "When we found you, you were unconscious."

"Where are my men? Where are the Hylian soldiers?" I shoot up only to have the blood rush to my head. The blanket around my body falls and I realize my Pincher is gone and I am only in my tunic and trousers. I cover myself quickly to hide my shape.

"There were no men here when we arrived," his voice is official, and reminds me of Sir Rauru, "only lifeless corpses." His light eyebrows lower, as he looks at me, "What were you doing on a battlefield? Have you no idea what kind of things can happen to a woman?"

I feel my cheeks redden. I feel embarrassed and angered. I swallow the feelings and reply, "I was the one who lead the men here. I was in charge of them. They were _my_ men. This was _my_ battle."

"I doubt they would be your men if they knew what you were." His voice is quick and sharper than a knife. He speaks the truth, and it stings.

I take a deep breath, "What do you plan on doing? What are you intentions?"

"If I was any other man, I would have thrown you to the dogs." his deep, blue eyes dart away from mine. "But it would appear we're fighting on the same side."

I shift my seating and furrow my eyebrows, "What do you mean?" I shake my head, "All the men fighting for Hyrule were in my group. I am not against my country." I raise my voice, "I don't care if I am your prisoner; I will not fight for you!"

"Calm down," his voice is quiet and yet stern. "I doubt Hylians would know about us," a few men chuckle in the background at his words.

I scratch my arm and wince in pain at the tender dark spot. The young man's eyes dart back to me and he smiles. "You have quite a few bruises. You're lucky there were no broken bones." I narrow my eyes. "They could have killed you. What were you doing?"

My hands are playing with the blanket over me. "Like I said, they were my men." I take deep breath. "You have to set the bar high." He chuckles to himself and I am reminded of the Bulblin who pinned me. I feel a shiver rush up my back and I bring the blanket up around my shoulders.

"What's your name?" his voice goes up with the question. This is by far the most time I have spent speaking with a man not affiliated with the Soldiers of Hyrule. I look at him and narrow my eyes. "Oh, alright," he sighs. He shifts, "You're a Sheikah, aren't you?" I shake my head.

"I am a knight," I finally say. "Sir Nohan Beacon," I nod, using the name Sir Rauru has permitted me to.

He nods his head, "A knight," he smiles, "pleasure to meet you." His hands stick out and I take it, but before I can shake, he brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. He lets it go. "My name is Link Sweeney." I nod my head. He is well mannered. "You should probably get some sleep," he reclines himself back with narrowed eyes.

I shake my head, "I should be looking for my men." I try to stand, but my legs are too stiff and sore to move.

"You need to take it easy," he hushes as he sits back up and looks at me with his blue eyes. Everything in my body is telling me to leave and find Sir Rauru and his men, but my muscles are arguing with my will. "We don't have any tents, for that I am sorry Lady Nohan," he sighs. "If you would like a second pillow, I would be more than happy to lend you one of mine."

I shake my head. Suddenly I am struck with a terrible thought. "How many bodies were there?"

"Ninety… give or take. Most of them appeared to be Bulblins."

I nod and try once more to stand—this time succeeding. "Where did your men put the corpses?" I ask craning my neck out in the darkness.

"We sent them ablaze," a new person announces, standing from the ground around the small fire. "All you will find are charred bones and flesh, child." It is a woman. I furrow my brow at her as she bows her head to me.

"Impa, would you be so kind as to showing her—something tells me she will not stop pestering me with these silly questions," Link sighs, rubbing his face in annoyance.

The woman bows her head to him this time. "Of course." She holds a hand out to me and I take it.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed this little 'teaser'.**

**Sorry for the length, I promise when I do update the later chapter will be shorter for those of you going cross-eyed right now.**

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**As always, reviews are much welcomed!**


	2. The Princess

**Disclaimer****: I do not own any Legend of Zelda characters. This is a story I have created and not a part in anyway making me money... I am poor... and possibly more so now having written this...**

**Anyway, please enjoy, and if you find that I have any problems, misspellings, or even if I am terrible at this, tell me... but be respectful. Hope you like it!**

* * *

**The beginning of the chapter is meant to be in first person past tense. If you see any mistakes, or it switches into present tense, please let me know!**

**Thank you!**

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**Blood for Freedom**

**Chapter Two:**** The Princess**

"Zelda," I turned my head to see my father. He was standing before my bed chamber, his hair brushed back and a crown fitted perfectly on his head. I wanted to run to him and hug him; I wanted to tell him everything that had happened since he left to battle—but the look on his face made even I, a child of but only six, worry.

He took seven quick steps into the room and stopped at the carpet. His brows inverted and made the space above his nose crease. "You will need to leave, my daughter," he finally said after a deep breath.

With little understanding as to war and what a king's duty actually was, I shake my head. "This is my home. I want to stay and play with my dollies—I want to be here for when my nursemaid returns," I argued. In the past months that statement had worked before, my father rarely said no to me, but today was different.

"No, Zelda," my father threw his hands down with frustration. I startled, dropping one of my dolls making the porcelain face brake on the ground. "You have to leave. The castle is no longer safe for my little princess." He approached me and ran his hand through my hair.

"And what about you?" I asked furrowing my eyebrows as sadness seeped into my heart.

"I will stay," he said in a sigh. "You will be leaving with the maids and servants. A guard will be escorting you in disguise." He lifted me into his arms and poked my nose like he always did. "We cannot get you to Kakariko tonight, so you will be staying the night in the Temple of Time. There are all the city folk in there." He lowered me back to my feet.

I feel my lip quiver as the idea of being away from him further hits. "You won't be with me," I asked, but we both knew I was meaning it to be a statement.

My father griped my shoulders and knelt to my level. "You know I will always be with you, Zelda," he tried to smile. "Be a brave girl and look at this as a new adventure. I will be with you as soon as I can—," he brought my chin up, "—understand?"

I nodded, but the tears in my eyes fell making him know I wished for another way. He was my only parent, the only one who loved me the moment I entered this world, the only one left who helped create me. Now, it felt like he was asking—demanding permission to leave me in this world alone.

He took my hand and led me to the foyer of the castle. Each step my feet grew heavier, my heart sank further, and my cries became louder. The maid had to pry me from my father as he tried to let go of me. I clawed at the air hoping that something would be there for me to grab so I wouldn't have to go.

"Goodbye, Zelda," he croaked. He said something else as we left, but my hollers and struggle to get free only drowned him out.

Before we even got to the gates before Castle Town, it had started. The very thing my father tried to keep me from was entering our castle—not through the gates before us; no that would have been too convenient. They crashed through the walls to the west, the maid carrying me raced past the gates, the guard leading her, and the others watching in horror as the castle was beat on by booming thunder and clanging swords.

I bobbed in the woman's arms until she fell. She dropped me making me roll a few feet in front of her. I tried to help her, but the enemy was close on our tail. One of the Bulblins used his club and bashed her face. I distinctly remember being frozen, shocked, and ultimately astonished. It all happened too quickly for me to be scared.

The guard who had been leading the maid gripped me and tossed me over his shoulder. I screamed for my father, now fear settling in. I pommeled the man's back with my fists, hoping he would let me run back. He did not.

We had finally entered the temple, men and women alike huddled together, some holding children, others hiding them. I wanted to run back. The guard placed me down, still restraining my hands. One noise from the entire ordeal I will never forget is the crashing and crumbling followed by screams too late to warn others.

The guard took me to the side wall; stone chunks from the ceiling fell to the centre of the floor. Mothers hugged their children as the world around them crashed and flattened. The guard chosen to protect me held me on the ground, using his body as a shield as the walls finally budged and fell. I screamed for my father, I cried in pain from the pressure of the man and the walls on top.

When it was over, there was silence. There were no whimpers, no screams, not even the slightest sounds of movement. I managed to push the man off of me, his limp body toppling over in an unnatural way. Powdered stone blurred my vision, but not enough to see the red stained stones above the bodies that once lived.

Whatever it was that crumbled the temple was no longer there. I tried looking for survivors like myself, more to rid my feeling of loneliness than to save someone. There was no one. I found countless men huddled over children like the guard had done for me, but not even the ones protected by loved ones were alive.

I stood from the rubble; my cheeks streaked with tears, and huddled by a partially standing wall. I hugged myself and cried for a long time. Everyone in the city was dead. As for my father, he would have died for any one of his men and proudly so. My heart stung with fear. I was too shocked to run and too stubborn to look for others. When the sun slowly rose, it was then when my fear and loneliness disappeared.

"You there," a male voice boomed. My eyes, too heavy to keep fully opened, lazily turned to see a man taller than any I had ever seen and with hair brighter than the clouds during a sunset. With the face of evil tattooed in my mind, I raced to the man with more courage and hate I could ever imagine.

I kicked at him, I hit him, and I bit him, thinking he was the Dark Lord Ganondorf, here to take me away like he had done to so many other princesses in different times. The man grabbed my hands with one of his and used his free one to slap the psychotic fit out of me. He did not say one word to me. It was only his eyes that did the talking. He was not the evil man, but a knight—as I would later find out by inspecting his armour.

The sun rose higher, and when the birds began to chirp he finally spoke. "You are the princess, yes?" he arched an eyebrow at me and I nodded. "Not anymore."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling panic engulf me.

He shook his head. "Your father has been pronounced dead. The castle has collapsed much like here. There were no survivors, child," his soft eyes watched me. "You will be the countries queen if we can free the people." He grabbed my hand. "We must leave, princess."

I tried to take my hand back, not sure to trust him quite so quickly. He jerks my arm. "You need to go into hiding, child," he growled. "We must head to the Knights' Villa. There you will be safe."

It was a long walk there. I, myself, had never heard of such a place. Before we entered the villa, the knight looked down at me and shook his head. "You go by the name of Nohan Beacon. You are a boy." His voice was harsh as it rang in my ears.

"I am a girl, my name is Princess Zelda Nohansen," I argue.

"But now you are a boy—a peasant, if you like. You will only be addressed as Mr. Beacon or Nohan. There is no way around it, child." He pulled out a small dagger. "Boys have short hair." I lowered my head. I felt the tugging of the knife cut at my hair. I watched as the golden locks fell to the ground. My heart ached as I could feel the weight drop. My hair had never been cut before. It was a crime for women to do such a thing. Only women with no morals or infested with lice did such a thing—not royal bloods.

"Put this on," the man huffed as he opened his pack bringing out a large tunic. He turned away and allowed me slight privacy as I clothed myself in the overly large shirt. "Take off your slippers," he pointed to my feet. I obliged. He examined me, walking around to get a better view—determining if I made a proper little boy. He lifted my chin and further inspected my face. "You will tell the men you are a Sheikah if they ask. That will keep them from questioning your lack of masculine features." He sighed. "I am Sir Rauru Gaebora. Your father sent for me to escort you to Kakariko. Do not fear me, princess," his voice softened into one of a more gentle persuasion.

I nod and lower my head. "When we enter the villa," he said as we walked closer to the villa's fenced in yard, "you will address me as Sir Rauru or simply Gaebora. You treat these men with respect and they will do the same for you. You begin training tomorrow, today is meant for you to get familiar with the new setting."

It was at this moment, I knew my life would never be the same. When I was given a practise blade, from there on I never once thought of my dollies. When I reached nine years of age, both Sir Rauru and I knew it would be a much longer wait for me to take the throne. It was on my thirteenth birthday I received the tattoo on my lip. Most Sheikah boys receive it on their tenth, but Sir Rauru had told the other I was younger.

The Sheikah men there took pride in having another boy turn into a man. They were very traditional, and regardless of my declines, they gave me the black eye tattoo. Though Sir Rauru did not agree with it, he could not refuse it for it would have blown my cover.

Thankfully, I developed slowly. It wasn't until my fourteenth year of life Gaebora requested me to bind my breasts and wear loose fitting clothes. As much as I disliked the idea of hiding my identity, I loved being around the men I had grown to call family. They were loud and rowdy, they loved fooling around, but most importantly, they loved Hyrule and what it meant to them.

On the same day of my fourteenth birthday, I was thrown into battle for the first time. Nothing came to me as a shock. I had been trained for nearly ten years to fight, and I found that the battle was more of a test to prove I was worthy of fighting for my land—and perhaps, one day rule my people. It was that battle that I realized that life can be taken as quick as it is given. Many men died—men that I called friends. And now, I, being close to my seventeenth birthday, walk in the darkness, wanting nothing more than to be with the men who left me for dead.

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The veil of the moon's night makes me thankful for I can barely see where Impa is leading me. I can see smoke blacker than that of night, but underneath there are still bodies smoldering away as we approach the piles. Small pops of the dehydrated bones snap, sometimes the flesh left on the bodies hiss and sizzle, but the smell is something awful. The men I fight with do this as well, though I am never around when they start the fires.

Impa leads me through the nine piles. "The Hylians were put in these piles," she says, slowly rising her hand to point to two distant piles. "If you are looking for a particular person, I have to tell you, child, you will not be able to find them." Her red eyes look to me with a sort of sympathetic glance. She shakes her head and sighs, "There weren't many. Those who we found were older men, no young boys. None from what I could see held any special embolisms on their clothes and armour."

"Thank you," I whisper breathily. I look down at one pile and see the face of an old friend. He is a Zora. His blue skin has taken on the blacks and purples of soot and ash. His eyes are ever so slightly shut, and his lips are parted creating an almost peaceful smile. I shiver and look the other way.

"I know this must be hard for you," Impa places a hand on my upper arm. I clench my jaw and swallow hard. "A girl so young… having to see something like this." She furrows her eyebrows and flattens her lips. "This is war," she nods. "This is how it starts and this is how it ends. No man is safe, and all of it ends in ashes." Impa releases me and turns away, facing the other piles. "A princess should not be in such a thing, Zelda."

I turn to her. I feel my eyes bulge and my jaw drop. I try to compose myself. "What makes you think that I am she?"

Impa turns back, her long, thin body almost swaying. "Do you honestly think I would forget the face of my first ward?" she tries to smile, but in the blackness of night, her face is almost lost. "Clever to disguise yourself as a Sheikah," she admits. "I always thought you were fair enough to fit the part."

I hold my arms and smile slightly at the remembrance of her. She once was soft, young, and loving. She used to sing to me so I would go to sleep. Her short, platinum blonde hair moves in the slight wind. "What possessed you to join in the military?" she shrugs.

"When you left…" I lower my gaze to the ground. "My father saw it fit for me to hide in the Temple of Time and then leave in the morning for Kakariko." I shake my head. "The building was destroyed after I arrived. Sir Rauru found me huddled in the wreckage the following morning." I take a breath, trying to ignore the smell of burning bodies. "He could have left me—he could have sent me to this village…" My light blue eyes look at the tall Sheikah. "Instead, he chose to keep me with him."

"And take you in as a fellow soldier?" Impa raises her eyebrows in disbelief.

I look to the rocky ground. I kick a stone and shrug. "Times have change, Impa," I sigh. "Hyrule's royalty is no longer safe. People are at each other's throats."

"You're sounding like your father," Impa smirks. "How many of the soldiers were there?" she asks, nodding her head to the two piles.

"Close to three hundred," I sigh. "There would have been more, but most of the men decided to stay in the villa. They said it was due to the minor battle—but we knew their fear was taking over."

"You say that with such conviction," Impa hums, her eyes narrowing with the grin growing.

"Because it is true," I nod, making my hair short, blonde curls bounce.

Impa places her arm around me and walks back down the path we followed to get here. "_We_ know all too much about the soldiers and knights of Hyrule, Zelda. Their own hope is fading." Her hand lowers and gently glides to my mid-back. "That is why I have joined Mr. Link Sweeney. He is willing to do whatever it takes to give our land back its proper rights."

I furrow my brow at her and look back forward as the path gets more jagged with stones and gravel. "Who is he? How can you be sure to trust him, Impa?" I ask. I am surprised at the sweetness in my voice. For far too many years I have had to disguise my meek and womanly voice into the rough, harsh, male baritone. I have almost forgotten how my natural speech sounds.

"He is with the Kokiri—though not one of them, they trust him like he is. Somehow—," Impaz grunts as we both climb up a large rock, "—he convinced them to join him in his fight."

"How did you meet up with him?" I ask, stumbling slightly on my feet.

Impa stops as the glow of the fire appears. "As you know I left your service to help defend this village." I nod. "When I was finished and Kakariko was safe, I heard of a new siege taking place in the forest. The Bulblins were already over halfway there. I gathered the men who were fit to fit and tried to help defend the forest." The Sheikah shakes her head, "The people of Ordon Village had no idea about the attack. When the Bulblin drew in deeper into the forest, I used my men to keep the enemy far enough away so the people could evacuate." Impa shakes her head. "Few made it out… many died trying—but Link was the one who saved the day. I was injured and could no longer lead the people." Impa presses her lips together as the pain of the memory comes back. "Just when I thought the people and I and my men were in for a doomed fate—Link appeared with the Kokiri.

"He looked like a giant compared to them," she smiles. "He was barely a man, but he held the leadership qualities of a military commander three times his age. The Kokiri split into two different groups—one following Link, and the other defending. Link led the Ordon people out of the providence, making sure I followed. The Kokiri who stayed behind to help defend defeated the Bulblins, though," Impa frowns slightly, "few of them came back."

I look to the large group around the fire and make a face. "Impa," I shake my head, "these are all men—there are no children—,"

"The children who ventured with us these past ten years have grown up. Kokiri only stay young so long as they have the Great Deku Tree near," Impa smiles. "Come now," she waves me over as she walks off, "time for bed. You'll need your energy for tomorrow."

I nod and she leads me to the blanket I woke up earlier on. Link is fast asleep by the fire, his boots hanging over the embers on a pothook so they dry from the rain. I sigh and lay on the thick blanket. This is far from what I am used to.

Usually at night, I spend my evening with Sir Rauru, talking about new attacks and formations. When the moon rises to its peak, I spend my last waking hours goofing off with the younger men—but now. Now there seems to be a strange sadness, one that leaves the air cool and frightening. The former Kokiri children who still are awake keep their eyes on me, watching as I twist and turn trying to get comfortable. Kokiri were never known for their excitement for change… and with the passing years and growth spurts, their enthusiasm has not adapted.

"In the morning we will be heading north," Impa whispers. "Link would like to speak with Sir Rauru. You will also be placed back into his care." I nod and lower my head. Impa cups a hand on my cheek and smiles, "Goodnight, sweet princess." She then leans over and kisses me on my forehead. A part of me wishes for her to whistle the lullaby she once did when I was young, but I know my request will be denied for it is a song well affiliated with the royalty. I smile and close my eyes as she turns away. It takes a long while for sleep to engulf me. The piles of charred black bodies haunt my mind, and the face of my Zora friend chases my thoughts. I take a deep breath and sigh. I keep my eyes open for as long as I can, staring up at the stars. I cannot say when exactly I fell asleep, but when I did, the embers in the fire pit were done smoking and no longer glowing.

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**I honestly thought this was going to be shorter.**

**It would have been, but I decided to place a little background... alright, a lot of background.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading**

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**As always, reviews are much welcomed!**


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